St John will delay shut down of specialist paramedic team who help police and firefighters

St John ambulance says it is delaying the shut down of three specialist emergency response teams that back police and firefighters during armed confrontations.

RNZ revealed earlier on Thursday, the ambulance service told police and Fire and Emergency as late as Tuesday it was shutting down the paramedic teams from December 20.

The teams have backed up police in armed confrontations including at the mosque attacks in 2019, and firefighters in cliff, tunnel and gas emergencies. St John said they primarily supported police at tactical operations.

The teams have no dedicated funding, St John said, and it had to focus on core services.

Health New Zealand confirmed to RNZ it turned down a funding request.

St John now said it was delaying its decision to shut them down for several weeks.

It "had advised its people and partners of an operational decision to stop operating its Specialist Emergency Response Team (SERT) in December 2026," deputy chief executive Dan Ohs said in a statement on Thursday morning.

"This reflected a change in the way services have been delivered, and would not result in a reduction in frontline roles.

"As part of other operating discussions since then, St John has decided to delay its decision to stop SERT operations while additional detail is worked through."

Ohs expected this to take several weeks and would confirm the future of SERT as soon as feasible.

A union, the NZ Ambulance Association said St John had asked police to help fund SERT. St John has not confirmed this.

The Emergency Management Minister and Police Minister Mark Mitchell's office referred RNZ's query to the associate health minister.

"This activity is provided on a 'best endeavours' basis and is not something St John is contracted to provide by Health New Zealand or ACC," Ohs said.

On Thursday morning the government announced $258m extra funding for St John for over 220 additional ambulance officers, call handlers, dispatchers and clinicians.

The first 22 paramedics and technicians would be ready by mid 2027 under a new four-year contract that had been agreed in principle.

"This investment means more crews on the road, more people answering calls, and better equipment for the people who respond," Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said in a statement.

About $220m of funding would go towards helping recruit volunteers, boosting crew safety and buying clinical equipment and digital and data systems among other things.

Day-to-day operating costs would be fully funded through Health NZ, ACC and patient part charges by mid-2028.

Another $22m from Budget 2026 and $15m from ACC would go on two new ambulance hubs and one smaller station in Auckland, among other things.

The statement said the service would also keep fundraising for over 200 ambulances over the next four years.